Automatic railway-switch.



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- U. A. WOODBURY.

PATBNTED MAR. 20,1906,

AUTcm/Airfm RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.10, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A @El y Mm l "PATBNTEDMAn-zo; 1906. U.y A. fWooDBURYI- AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.10, 1905-I ,N-irren srArEs] PATENT Omron.

AURBAN A. vvooDBURY, Vor BURLINGTON, VERMONT.

AUToMATlc RAILvilAY-swlToH.`

speeication of Letters 'ramene Patented. March 20, 11906.

Application filed ctoberV10,-1905. Serial No. 282,085.

io switches of the same general class as the automatic switch 'described and'claimed in my lcopendi'ng application niled"June 21', 1905,

Serial No. 266,348.l l i `The general purpose -of vthel present invention is thesame as in the said prior applicat1on%viz`.,'to"provide a mechanism adapted to Vbe. set'in operation by a train, whereby `a switch,'inadvertently left open, will be automatic'ally closedbefore the train runs int it,

zo thus providing safeguardaainst one" of the -mojst common causes of rai road wrecks.-

NAfurther vobject of this invention is to constr'uct theautoniatic mechanism so that it "does Ynot interferein anyway with the ordinary operation of switching and so that it can 'readily be rendered 'inoperative when it is de- "sired to run the train-onto the siding.

" AA further objeet lof'this'invent'ion is to construct the nmeclianisrn sothat it will be auto- 3o matic'ally maintained inoperative when a train is running o if Ythe/siding and astill further bjec`t is the prvision ofan improved rI'neanson theflocomotive'to. actuate the au- Atornati'cf switch operating `mechanism, said 3 5 means-"beingunder the control of the enginedfiver, whereby it nen'fauy remains@- oper- 'jativepbsfitiombut han bfreaidily remove'd't'o an inoperative position, if desired;Y Furthefbjeets'and advantages bf myin- 4o `vention lwill be apparent from the followmg detailed description, taken in connection with theaccornp'anying two/sheets of draw- Y Figure i lsa'plan'viewof a switch-'provided ry improved automatic mechanism.

a'sid elevation ofthe same, theirod lfiuimillgjlthe switch-stand being in section. Vligf'iis afdet''ail*section Online a ajofFig. 1. "Eig4`i's'a detail'planfview of Fig.l 1 with the ion' the locomotive for actuatingthe autosection. l

' vInf'the views, 1 represents the main-line rails, and 3 the movable switch-rails, the same u,being attached to and moved 'by a switch-barv 2. This bar does not run to the switch-stand, as usual, but is connected Yto a v switch-stand rod 6 by a sliding connection, herein illustrated by a slot 14 in the bar 2, through which a pin on the rod 6, provided with an enlarged head 7, projects. Normally the headed pin rests yin the end of the slot 14 farthest from therails, as shown in Figs."1 and 8, and is retained thereby the following' mechanism: A bell-Crank lever 24 is carried on the bar '2 with its pivot 25 adj acent the rail 1 and its longer arm engaging the`head 7. lThe shorter arm of said bellcrank ispivotedV at 26 to a lever 5, to be hereinafter described, which forms part ofthe actuating mechanism. The longer arm of the'bell-crank and the head 7 have oblique engaging surfaces 27 and are normally kept inengagement by another bell-crank 10, carried by the bar 2 and heldin position to do so by a spring 28, attached to the other arm of bell-crank 10 and to a projeotion'29 on rod 6.

The fulcrum of' the lever 5, above referred tois located on one arm of bell-crank 18, pivoted on a lug'19,'attached`to the rail 1 or to the ties, the pivot engaging a slot21 in'said lever '5 and being normally pressed up into one end of'said slot, as shown in Fig. 1, by a 'spring 22. A rod 23 isl connected to ythe other arm -of the bell-crank 18, andthe pin to which said rod`23 is connected engages-also ina nslot formed in the end ofthe bar'8,'the function Yof l'whichV Willbe hereinaftene'x- 'plained l f The' ,part which is'engaged by the'special means carried by the locomotive,to be hereinafterdescribed, is a long'ba'r or lever 4, pivotedfat 13 to a lug`17, attached to the raill and lwith its longenarm supported on a bracket 16, 'also yattachedY to said rail, said arm gradually approaching therail' till at the point marked A it isonly about one and onelhalf inchesdistant from the adjacent sideof the rail-head. From that AYpoint to the pvot "13 it notonly'recedes'frm thefrail, but descends below the level ofthe same, as shown in Fig. 2.H The short armof lever 4 terminates in a Ynose 30, which has a rocking eny gagement With'the'end of the lever 5. The bar 8,?l1ereinbefore referred to, has a pivotal connection at 15 with thelever4, 'which coincides substantially 'with the point rA of nearest approach of said lever to the adj a- IOO IIO

centrail 1 and then continues forwardly toward the switch at the same level as said point A, receding graduallyfrom the rail, its forward end having a slotted ,engagement with the pin at the end of the longer arm of bellcrank 18, as mentioned above. The function of this bar 8 will hereinafter appear from the description of the operation of the apparatus.

The mechanism above described may bel actuated by a special truck-wheel on the locomotive, such as is illustrated in my said prior application for patent, or like that shown in my prior patent, No. 758,401, dated April 26, 1904; but I have herein illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 and will now describe a dii-ferent form of mechanism which may be provided on the locomotive for the' actuation of the automatic switch-closing mechanism. In said views 31 represents diagrammatically a portion of the frame of the locomotive, and 32. the cow-catcher or pilot, while 33 indicates a front truck-wheel. In the outer end of the aXle of said wheel is secured afstud 34, on which is hung a member 3'5, the lower part of which is hollow and contains a spring 36, bearing on the head 37 of a rod 38, which terminates in a yoke 39, forming part of a bar 40, hinged at 41 to another bar 42, which is rigidly secured to a shaft 43, journaled in bearings carried by the member 3.1, above re ferred to. Normally projecting downwardly from said shaft 43 is an arm 44, to which is attached a rod 45, running to the engine-cab. The lower part of bar 40 is widened out or provided with a flange 46, so that it can ride on the lever 4, as will be explained. In the yoke 39 are journaled on vertical axes the rollers 47, one of which is adapted to bear against the lever 4 and the other to roll on the outer surface of the wheel 33 when in the po-V sition shown in said Figs. 5 and 6.

Having thus categorically described the essential elements of my improved switch- .actuating mechanism, I will now explain the operation thereof under the various circumstances met with in actual practice. As- .su-ming the switch to be open and a train to be approaching the same, the means above described or the special wheel rides against bar or lever 4, forcing the long arm thereof away from the rail, which of course causes said lever to swing upon its pivot andactuate lever 5, which in turn swings bell-crank 24 and disengages the surfaces 27 on the long arm of bell-crank and head 7, bell-crank l() being also swung on its pivot, further compressing spring 28. As soon as bell-crank 24 is thus freed 'from head 7 bar 2 moves relatively to rod 6, the head 7 traveling to the other end of slot 14. Spring 28 assistslever 5 to move the bar 2 over to close the switch. The parts are then in the position shown in Fig. 4. This of course leaves the switchstand rod 6 inthe open-switch position,

and to reset the parts all that is necessary is to unlock the switclnstand, which may be of any of the usual types, and pull the rod 6 over to the closed-switch position. This move ment brings the head 7 into the far end of the slot 14 again, and the bell-crank 24 snaps into position again to engage its surface 27 with the similar surface of the head 7, as shown in Fig. l. Assuming now thata train provided with the special mechanism of Fi 5 and 6 or with some equivalent actuating device is approaching the switch, and it is desired to run the train onto the siding, so that the automatic switch-closing mechanism is not desired to be operated, either the enginedriver may raise the rollers 47 out of the way by pulling on rod 45, or, if the special wheel is used in place of said roller mechanism, all that is necessary is for a brakeman to pull ou the rod 23, which has the effect of swinging bell-crank 18 on its pivot 20, the pin at thc end of the short arm thereof traveling in the slot 22 of the lever 5, compressing the spring 21. Now when the lever 4 is actuated by the locomotive its effect on lever 5 is not to swing it on its fulcrum as before, but simplyv to swing it stillfarther around on the pivot 26 as a fulcrum, bringing the pin on the short arm of bell-crank 18 farther into the slot 2l and still further compressing spring 22.

The function of the bar 8 is to do the saine thing automatically as is accomplished manually by the rod 23`viz., to prevent the switchclosi-ng mechanism from being operated by a train, but in this instance when the train is coming off the siding. If a cam-wheel is used, such as is shown in my said pending application, -it strikes bar 8 and cams it outwardly, which swings bell-crank 18 .in the same way that it is swung by pulling on rod 23, so `that as the wheel approaches point A, although it moves lever 4 over, the latter does not swing lever 5 on its pivot, as it does when a train is coming in the other direction, but continues to swing said lever around pivot 26, the action being the same as ywhen rod 23 is pulled. As soon as the cam-wheel has passed bar 8 and lever 4 spring 21 expands and throws bar 5 and crank 18 back into place.

If the mechanism illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 is used, the bar 40 strikes lever 4, the sprimT 3.6 is compressed, and the rollers47 are raised so that they cannot come in contact with the face of lever 4, but ride over its top, and consequently the switch is not closed. When the mechanism on the locomotive illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 is used, it is of course un necessary to provide the means whereby the automatic mechanism is rendered inoperative when struck, because the engine-driver can raise the shoe40 out of the way, so that, in that case, bar 8, bell-crank 18, spring 22, and rod 23 can be dispensed with and lever 5 be pivoted directly on lug 19.

IIO

crasse Obviously variations may be made in the form and dimensions of the parts described without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claimd v 1. In a railway-switch, the combination with means adapted to be actuated by a train running toward the point ofthe switch to close the latter, of means adapted to be actuated by a train running through the switch off the siding to prevent the operation ofthe closin means. Y

2. n a railway-switch, the combination with a bar horizontally mounted adj acent to one of the main-line rails and adapted to be actuated by mechanism carried by a train, of a switch-rod, connections between -said bar and rod, whereby actuation of said bar by train will normally close the switch, and means also operable by a train to render said connections inoperative to close the switch.

3. In a railway-switch, the combination 'with a bar horizontally mounted adjacent to one of 'the main-line rails and adapted to be actuated by mechanism -carried by a train, of

j a switch-rod, a lever connected to said rod and adapted to be actuated by said bar to close the switch, and means to change the position of the fulcrum of said lever to render it inoperative to close the switch when actuated by said bar.

4. In a railway-switch, the combination with the switch-bar thereof, of a switch-stand rod, means on said bar to. normally connect the same rigidly to said rod, means on the latter tendin to move said bar relatively to said rod to c ose the switch, means adapted to be actuated by a train to break the connection between said bar and rod, and means 4o adapted to be actuated by a train running off the siding to prevent the operation of saidl train-actuated means. A

v5. In a railway-switch, the combination of` a switch-bar and aswitch-stand rod normally rigidly connected together, a lever adapted to be actuated by a train approaching the switch toward the point thereof, a second lever adapted to be actuated by said first lever, means connected with said second lever to break the connection between said bar and rod, land means connected with said second leverto prevent its breaking the said connection when a train is to run onto the siding or when a train is running off the siding onto the main line.

6. In a railway, the combination of a lever pivoted adjacent to the main line, a bellcrank lever also pivoted adjacent thereto, a second lever pivoted on one arm of said bellcrank lever and adapted to be actuated by said first-mentioned lever, a rod connected to` the other arm of said bell-crank lever whereby the latter may be rendered inoperative by said first-mentioned lever, a switchbar and a switch-stand rod, means connected to said second lever and carried by said bar to'normally connect said bar and rod rigidly together, aI spring to move said bar relatively to said rod to close the switch when said second lever breaks the connection between them, and means adapted to be actuated by a train running through the switch from the heel to prevent said second lever from breaking the connection between said bar and rod.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

URBAN A. WOODBURY.

Witnesses: y

O. C. HUGHES, E. P. WOODBURY. 

